Additional Details

Based on the book by Maurice Sendak.

Originally released as a motion picture in 2009.

Special features: Series of "Where the wild things are" shorts by Lance Bange: "The absurd difficulty of filming a dog running and barking at the same time," "Crew pranks Spike," "Vampire attack: the Max Records short" and "The kids take over the picture."

Max has an active imagination, who will throw a fit if others don't go along with what he wants. Following an incident with his sister Claire and her friends, Max throws a tantrum when his mother pays more attention to her boyfriend than to him - runs away from home. Wearing his wolf costume at the time, Max not only runs away physically, but runs toward a world in his imagination. This world, an ocean away, is inhabited by large wild beasts, including Carol who has the same temperament as Max. Instead of eating Max like they normally would with creatures of his type, the wild things befriend Max after he proclaims himself a king who can magically solve all their problems.

This movie is "Where the Wild Things Are" translated for adults. The pacing is too slow for children, and is meant for individuals who enjoy artsy, semi-intellectual movies. There were also times when it is a bit scary.

I agree with other reviewers that this isn't really a movie for kids. It's more a movie for adults who want (or need) to remember what it's like to be a kid. It's about the hard side of childhood and about learning where you fit in in the world. I thought it did a great job of representing those dramas of childhood that are so intense and important at the time. The way the child interacted with the Wild Things was just like how children interact and speak to each other in real life. The soundtrack was great, and I loved the shots in the woods with the natural lighting and sounds. You really felt like you were in the woods building a fort and playing with friends on some endless early fall afternoon. Beautiful!

One of my favorite books as a child was Where the Wild Things Are. Written in 1963 by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, it has weathered the test if time and is still a favorite of children some 30+ years after it was published. Recently I watched the movie adaptation directed by Spike Jonze and was pleasantly surprised to find that I really liked it, as did my 6 year old daughter. Parents be warned, this movie is not appropriate for younger children. It is full of dark images, beastly behavior and sad themes like loneliness and abandonment. In one scene, Max is chased in the woods by a beast and has to hide in a kindly beast’s mouth to avoid being caught by a meanie monster. It is a gruesome, scary scene that even put me on edge. Despite all the sadness, it is a good movie that has some delightful and funny moments. The soundtrack to the movie is great! While listening to it my husband likened it to The Pixies and I have to agree it has a Pixies sound to it. My husband called it The Pixies for children. My children love the music as well and we’ve combined the book with the soundtrack to have a real Wild Rumpas!

I think the level is certainly for juveniles or aimed at them, anyway, but I imagine that they, like this adult, will just be bored, not moved, excited, or challenged by an inadequate cinematic version of what was a fun book. I believe it barely rates 2 stars, maybe just 1½! Of course, a review by someone under the age of 13 might be in order here.

I liked the movie! It dragged a bit in the middle, but I loved the rompus and the music. I saw it in a theater full of mostly adults, and it was a totally fun experience of getting lost in childhood. Watching it made me feel like a kid again.

Definitely not a kids movie. It wasn't really advertised as a kids movie, but it gets put in that realm since it's based on a youth picture book.

I don't have any kids, but I'm not sure this is a movie I'd show to children. I watched this with my mom, and she absolutely hated it. It really seems as though it's written by a 6 year old. The main actor seemed a bit old for his tantrums. I think the movie captures the naive violence and emotional outbursts of very young children, but it ends up pretty joyless, unlike the book. Picture books can be turned into enjoyable full length movies, but this one wasn't.